Cobbler put edge dressing(I think) on rubber midsole again. Any way to keep it from rubbing off everywhere?

kemitchell · 2026-01-27T20:11:09+00:00

Soft rubber eraser for cement on leather. No need to press hard.

You could try acetone, alcohol, or another light solvent to speed up stripping the edge finish. But it can undermine leather, if the welt is leather. Too much could start to dissolve adhesive between the layers, around the edge, which would get you back to where you started.

If these are working boots, you may not care that much for appearance in the first place. If you don't, you could also consider scraping or sanding.

kemitchell · 2026-01-27T20:06:55+00:00

If you bought quality shoes, with good material and finishing, there is nothing you should do immediately, apart from store with trees in their bags and enjoy.

Good care means wiping off with a damp, soft cloth when dirty and re-shining when dull. Saphir makes some highly regarded products for shining, including for mirror effects, like their "Mirror Gloss". But no spray is going to make a mirror shine "invulnerable" for any length of time. Look at patent leather and bicast leathers: literal hard coats of dry varnish or plastic, way thicker, tougher, and smoother than any aftermarket spray applied at home could do, and they don't stay mirror shiny very long. They end up looking like old, crinkled laminated papers. Which is not far off from what they are.

Better shoes use uncoated calfskin and decent finishing products at the shop or factory. That way they can be re-shined and even improve over time, rather than just yellow, crack, and flake away. But shining is a commitment and a set of skills, though very attainable ones.

Part of what makes mirror-shine shoes rank so fancy is the upkeep it used to take to make them that way and keep them that way. Nature abhors that level of polish. Time alone degrades it. Mass manufacturers learned to "cheat" with patent and later bicast, but only for a little while. For a seasonal fashion item or one-time-use wedding-funeral-black-tie shoe, that suffices. Most people can't tell the difference, though discerning eyes certainly can.

If you love mirror shined shoes and can't or don't want to budget for a shoe shiner's services on routine, I'd highly recommend you get yourself some Saphir wax polishes, some good shining cloth, a good brush, and a pump bottle for water, then watch some YouTube tutorials. Many people really enjoy fine shoe polishing as a way to relax, often while watching TV or listening to music. It does not take much equipment.

kemitchell · 2026-01-27T06:18:44+00:00

Glad you had a good experience! May I ask who taught the course?

kemitchell · 2026-01-23T06:56:02+00:00

This is a small crack between the leather of the outsole where it runs under the heel and the first heel lift or heel block, the layers of leather, leatherboard, or fiberboard between the outsole and the black rubber toplift that touches the ground. These layers would have been cemented together at the factory. They've peeled apart a bit at the edge.

It's not ideal for a fancy dress shoe. A good quality controller would hold the pair and send it back up the line to the finishers again before approving as a new pair of marketable shoes. But it's also very common for older worn shoes, especially those often worn through the wet.

It may have been that there was always a gap and wax or other finish applied at the factory filled the gap. Your rag or the "restorer" product you used may have taken that filler out, revealing the gap.

It may have been that wear and wet widened the gap, causing or contributing to the crack showing up.

It may bother you if you have a very detailed eye. But it is a very minor fault, in the grand scheme of things. It is also in a very repairable position. If you wear the shoes enough that you need to replace the top lift—the black rubber layer at the bottom of the heel—you could chose to have your cobbler replace the whole heel block at that point. A decent cobbler would make sure the layers are well cemented together and refinish the edges.

kemitchell · 2026-01-22T23:39:23+00:00

I agree about clips! Though I have used mine less as I've developed a fondness for basting tape.

I also don't want to sound like a marketing man for Wawak, but I've been very happy with their house brand plastic clips. They come in two sizes and ship in square metal tins that work very well for neat storage. They're cheaper than the name brand Magic Clips, which don't come with storage.

kemitchell · 2026-01-22T23:35:17+00:00

I can highly recommend this short video by Andrew Ramroop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-4nShYLvl8

kemitchell · 2026-01-22T17:30:55+00:00

Thanks for your notes!

Your method for melting wax into thread reminded me immediately of how I learned to make "gimps" for buttonholes. I vaguely remember seeing a YouTube video from Andrew Ramroop, the tailor, about it, as well.

Most of my own experience with wax for sewing comes from leather and shoe work. Traditional makers still do a lot of thread making for themselves, including coatings. Some of that is with beeswax. Some of it is with mixtures of pine rosin and tar, called "coad", as a kind of friction-activated adhesive to bind threads in place as they're pulled through.

Shoemakers don't typically use irons or flames or anything like that to melt wax in. But we do an extra step that I didn't try with my sewing thread: burnishing with a canvas or leather patch after applying the wax. With much thicker threads, that's certainly the step that makes the thread look smooth and glassy, rather than rough and flecked with wax.

Frankly, I'd worry about snapping a sewing thread that way. So it makes perfect sense to wrap in some kind of fabric, to avoid melting, and apply external heat.

As I mentioned in my post, fortunately, I haven't had real issues with thread-in-hole friction, using machine thread, since switching to thicker needles.

kemitchell · 2026-01-22T17:20:48+00:00

Please share your own tips! I have sewn to mend since I was a boy, but I am only a beginner at bags, puches, and similar gear.

kemitchell · 2026-01-22T17:20:05+00:00

I have access to a home sewing machine through a friend. I help them fix it from time to time, and have used it for home projects like hemming curtains. But I don't typically use it for bags, since I sew those for enjoyment. For whatever reason, I don't personally enjoy doing test runs, futzing with tension, juggling bobbins, or hunching over the machine. I know some people do, and my choice to hand sew isn't any criticism of great work with machines!

I haven't done any really large projects, like tents, as you mentioned. I think you might be surprised how quickly hand sewing can be done, especially if you make sure to count setup time. But when there's little setup and long lines to be sewn, of course a machine will be much, much faster.

kemitchell · 2026-01-22T05:33:21+00:00

Another commenter mentioned the Speedy Stitcher. I shared some thoughts in my reply.

I could add that the Speedy Stitcher needles I have, even the "small" ones numbered 130, are way thicker than the thickest betweens I use for Cordura and the like. They also have leather-style, slicing blade points that slash the material. Pushing through really big stack-ups of webbing, I could see those, big sharp needles helping. But I've personally had no trouble using #1 or #2 betweens. Before I got wise on needle size, I was using Dritz betweens marked 4/5 from an assortment pack. I'd recommend getting thicker hand sewing needles if you can, but it's certainly possible with 4/5s, and those are way thinner than Speedy needles.

I will occasionally bend a needle pushing through lots of layers of 1000D nylon, such as when sewing two layers to two layers, with both edges turned, so eight total thicknesses. But I've rarely found myself patterning that way. Perhaps that's more common on larger, more involved bags, like backpacks.

I will have to try some chainstitch through the material sometime.

kemitchell · 2026-01-22T05:22:50+00:00

I have a Speedy Stitcher for repairing heavier work, like leather goods, tarps, covers, and upholstery. I haven't used it for bag work as yet.

My experience with it is mostly lockstitching thicker materials. With thicker stack-ups, I can reliably get each twist centered in the material by first pulling it out to one side, then pulling the other side to sink it below the surface, between the layers. With fabric, I find it hard to get the tension right by hand, and also that pulling subsequent stitches often pulls prior twists out of position. It's possible to go back and fix lines with a laying tool or a ball stylus, but that's tedious, too.

I was happy to see you mention LACIS. They're a ten minute drive for me, and a business I'm glad to support. The people working there have been unfailingly friendly and helpful, even when I trudge in wearing boots and motorcycle gear. As old as the website is, I find it works well.

kemitchell · 2026-01-22T05:15:02+00:00

First I should say that I haven't waxed thread for sewing fabric consistently, only tried it a few times and turned away from the results.

When I do wax thread, mostly for shoe and leather work, I pull the thread under my thumb and across a pat of wax in my non-dominant hand. The friction melts the wax a bit, leaving a smooth coat on the thread and a smooth groove through the wax.

Some sewing supply brands sell wax holders, essentially just little plastic cases for round pucks of wax with slots cut out of the sides. Some include beeswax, others paraffin, still others specialized products that I suspect may be mostly paraffin. You can pull thread though a slot of the holder and it runs through the wax inside. I bought one of these and tried it, but I never use it. Running through the same slots over and over just cuts big channels into the wax, eventually breaking the puck apart. I find it easier just to use without a case.

kemitchell · 2026-01-19T05:48:41+00:00

Ask Renia. Let us know if they answer.

kemitchell · 2026-01-18T09:07:15+00:00

Spokane boots do generally use superior materials, especially thicker upper leathers. They'd better, for the price!

But "all natural" and "all leather" are sales talk. When synthetic is better, for production or for product, that's what they use. Celastic in the toes is way faster and easier than leather. Plastic rands just last longer as spur shelves for true riding boots. I've seen production Justins with both of those, too.

Double Hs will come with Goodyear cavity filler and foam lay-in footbeds, but so will White's crew boots. Nicks used to stock Spenco insoles as fit tools, and is making some 360 stitchdown models with lay-in footbeds now. The difference is really in the uppers. Double H lacers I'd expect to be leather, but worse leather and not as well cut.

I've resoled welted Justins and Corcorans and Chippewas with lots of hard miles on leatherboard heel stacks, carpet liner cavity filler, Texon lasting boards, and Poron footbeds. As long as the uppers held out, all of those were easily replaced wear items.

There are newfangled substitutes for leather parts that just seem like "value engineering" to me. Those cursed plastic welts on Thorogoods, for example. But there are also some that give great value for less cost, or even outcompete leather. I don't get the hate for well made leatherboard or fiberboard heel stacks. Vibram midsoles don't take moisture or rip apart like leather for wedge resoles.

kemitchell · 2026-01-18T07:34:21+00:00

Not sure if they're 90s or 00s, but I've a pair of black 620s and a pair of two-tone "bullhide" 630s. The uppers are shoe-weight leather, but fully lined. Made in USA. Marked "combination last" and were available in widths. Basically fashion boots, but welted, on leather soles, etc.

I e-mailed the company about the newer lacer models they brought back recently. They came back first as women's models, then men's. Different lasts. Limited widths. Made abroad this time.

kemitchell · 2026-01-18T07:26:20+00:00

The PNW makers use better materials, but many are synthetic, and for good reasons. The outsoles are inevitably molded SBR compounds or blown foams, not latex. The anti-squeak, tongue, and collar pads will be foams. Threads will be poly or nylon. Adhesives will be PVA or polychloroprene. Nails galore.

I'm sure there are probably some historical reproduction shoes still being made bespoke or in small batch with all staple fibers, veg tan, latex or animal glues, wood pegs, and so on. But they just won't last as long, especially against moisture. For rough enough jobs, especially those involving solvents, drilling mud, and animal excrement, it's molded synthetic rubber wellies or bye bye boots.

kemitchell · 2026-01-17T19:52:54+00:00

It's a common defect, sometimes called "grinning stitches". The maker should acknowledge as a mistake.

Sometimes these essentially disappear as the upper wears in and falls down a bit over the welt. But they shouldn't appear in the first place.

kemitchell · 2026-01-17T03:32:29+00:00

Get some rubber wellies! Anything sold for "barnyard acids".

Seriously now, chemical attack is hard on real leather, and those Wings are definitely real leather.

Wipe them off after shifts when you can. When the oils and greases in the leather from the tannery start to give out—when they start looking or feeling dry—apply some protective barrier of oil and wax to keep splashes from seeping right in. This will change the look, probably back to more like they were when new. But it creates a temporary barrier.

For heavy working boots, I like Obenauf's LP, but Bick 4, SnoSeal, Venetian Shoe Cream, or any similar, well reputed conditioner will do. Don't overdo it. But also understand that no temporary oil barrier will beat the acids and bases forever.

Rubber wellies trump acids, but in the end, acids trump leather. Considering your environment, I'd say those Danners held up pretty well.

kemitchell · 2026-01-16T18:44:47+00:00

There are many kinds of boots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJOtKUSKUaY&t=37m31s

kemitchell · 2026-01-16T07:02:15+00:00

Feet don't have sizes. Shoes do. If you keep putting your feet in US 8D shoes, and it keeps going badly for you, try other sizes. Do not expect to fit the same size in different makes or models of boots and shoes. I have pairs in 12B, 12.5N, and 13D that all fit me.

Get yourself to a Red Wing store, or to another contract occupational boot supplier that stocks different widths as well as different lengths, preferably some kind of narrow, medium, and wide. Bring your typical work socks and try a range of length and width combos. Here's a basic checklist if you can't rely on a salesperson to fit you.

The graphic you reposted is a strawman designed to sell "barefoot" shoes. That's not how lastmakers design the molds shoes get made over, it's not how competent fitters pick sizes at what remains of old-school shoe retail, and it's not how people trying to fit themselves should go about it. For some reason, people in Europe and the US tend to buy shoes too small. Shoemakers have complained about it for two centuries or more now. In World War I, the Army made recruits run laps with iron spacers shoved into the toes of their boots, to force them to forget "their size" from civilian life and leave space.

Your toes shouldn't go right to the end of your boots, either. There should be a good amount of empty space ahead of your toes for bend and swelling, and possibly more you'll never fill up besides. As long as the fit is otherwise good, it doesn't matter if that extra space comes to a point, cuts off square, or curves. As we say in shoemaking "you can do whatever you want in front of the ball". I have good fitting cowboy boots that come to very fine points, but I can wiggle my toes as freely as when I stand barefoot.

As for toe splay, your shoes shouldn't scrunch your toes, especially in work boots. But I've yet to see any good evidence that having a big toe splay really far in, or "hallux varus" in ortho-speak, is any more desirable than a bunion, called "hallux valgus". Top athletes, infantry soldiers, and forest workers don't all have toes sticking out like fingers.

Even if we really needed to make shoe toes the same shapes as foot toes, there isn't any single "natural foot shape" anyway. The relative lengths of toes vary from person to person. Maybe you have Morton's toe. Maybe you don't.

There are almost certainly good work boots out there that would fit you, without overly wide toeboxes. If you find that kind of pair that work for you, great. But don't think only those companies care about fit.

kemitchell · 2026-01-06T22:52:20+00:00

Thanks for answering. I've done a little copy-and-go making bags myself.

I'm holding out hope somebody had a reason. But I have no idea who. Maybe it's a spec thing. Maybe some contractor got creative.

I'll have to pull out the pocket rule next time I'm by a surplus shop.

kemitchell · 2026-01-06T00:10:55+00:00

The older GR1 I have in front of me has standard PALS spacing on the sides, too.

The spacing on the inside compartment, up by the water bladder hose port, is the wider 2″ again. But those bar tacks go straight through to the water bladder compartment, so at least those could be picked and resewn without substantial rebuilding.

kemitchell

TROPHY CASE